


like memory repeating

by abandoned_quiche



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Community: fandomweekly, Gen, references to Jasper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-12 15:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7939972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abandoned_quiche/pseuds/abandoned_quiche
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot introduces Lapis to the concept of 'sleep'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	like memory repeating

**Author's Note:**

> Fandomweekly #022: Déjà Vu

"If you wanted, you could try _sleeping_!"

Another _Earth term_. It wasn't beyond the ordinary for a Peridot to hold knowledge of the local terrain, but Lapis often found herself surprised at how much _this_ Peridot had taken in of Earth, and Earth culture. They'd both been physically on the planet for the same length of time, hadn't they!?... But it was too easy to think of how different the circumstances were, and how Peridot had gleefully thrown herself into _Earth things_ , and how Lapis herself hadn't had that chance because--

 _No_.

"What's 'sleeping'?"

Sat on the grass outside the barn, Peridot looked to Lapis with obvious delight at having something she could explain, in _great detail_. She held a finger aloft as she spoke, taking on an air of expertise as she did so. "As far as I've come to understand it, 'sleep' is to humans what a refractory period might be to a gem. However, as you know, we only require such things if our gem has undergone enough damage to need that type of recovery. Humans, being what they are, undergo a lower amount of physical stress through their normal existence, but require that stress to be constantly diminished through frequent and deep applications of _sleep_. During this time, the human is unresponsive, but in a light form of recovery."

"... I see. Why would I want to do that? My gem isn't damaged."

Peridot threw her arms in the air. "Because you haven't done it before, right? You might like it!"

"Is there something fun about being in an unresponsive position?"

Leaning in on all fours, Peridot grinned. "That's only half of it, though. As part of the human recovery system, the brain itself undergoes a kind of simulation program. Human beings can do that! Isn't that amazing? You wouldn't know it to look at them, but there's actually something complex lying under that squishy pink exterior. Those things, I am reliably informed, are called 'dreams'. Steven has often told me of the deep and varied 'dreams' he has experienced. Well, to say that, he hasn't gone anywhere - not physically - but he's seen all sorts of strange things, from his mind alone! It sounds pretty wild!"

"Yeah? Cool." Something about Peridot's explanation struck Lapis as odd. "You've not experienced 'dreams' yourself, then?"

Peridot pulled away, kicking her feet absently against the dirt. "Ashamed as I am to admit it, I haven't managed it. Not yet! But I've been trying _real_ hard! So maybe if you tried it, you could do it, and you could tell me how you'd done it!"

"So I'm your experiment, huh?"

" _No_!" Peridot shrugged lightly. "... Maybe a little. But I just think it'd be fun, that's all! You might be able to do it better than me. It's a new experience, right?"

Lapis knew how easy it was to talk Peridot into something by using _that_ as an excuse - and she knew herself, secretly, just as susceptible, not that she would have said so out loud (to Peridot, at least). They had all the time in the world to try anything they liked, and the freedom of _being on Earth_ in order to do so, so... _why not?_ She wasn't sure she saw the point in this 'sleep' thing, but humans seemed to do a lot of pointless things; that didn't make them entirely without worth.

"Okay. What do I do?"

Peridot lay back against the grass. "You get into this position, and you just kind of... turn yourself off."

"... How do I do that?"

"Uh... what was it Steven said... 'you gotta empty your mind'! Try and think about nothing. Don't even think about how you're thinking about thinking about nothing! That's not thinking about nothing! Take deep breaths."

"What does that do?"

"I don't know, but it's meant to help! _Ffhh--... haa--! Ffhh--... haa!_ "

"Ff... f... haa..."

"Maybe you don't need to do that part. Oh! Right, you have to close your eyes, too. Close your eyes, empty your mind, _relaaaax. Relaaaaaax._ "

It still seemed a largely pointless endeavour, but underneath the warm afternoon sun, Lapis tried to follow Peridot's instruction - commands that drifted off into silence as Peridot herself succumbed to this 'sleep' thing. The silence made it easier; _think of nothing. Think of nothing_.

 

________________________________________

 

_Nothing._

_Darkness._

_Darkness, and silence, and the comforting pressure of water_

_the instinct of a Lapis Lazuli would be to move freely within it, but--_

"Don't--... go--... _anywhere_ \--!"

Even under the water, there were chains. This wasn't the true experience of being underwater - the pressure of fusion was unimaginably stronger than the pressure of water, and _they couldn't escape_

_Lapis wouldn't let her escape_

_Jasper wouldn't let Lapis escape_

_but beneath the water, Jasper had no choice--_

_who ever heard of a Jasper, underwater--_

_Here, Lapis was strong--_

_Stronger than Jasper, strong enough, stronger than she'd even been, and angry, angrier than she'd ever been, more intense than anything she'd ever felt--_

"I won't--... let--... you--... _go_ \--!"

 _it never ends_ \--

 

________________________________________

 

Lapis was suddenly aware of being within the barn, being peered at by a concerned-looking Peridot. Her mind was racing, and she felt weak, somehow - exhausted, confused, _terrified_. _Why, though?_ The barn was the barn, as it always was. Peridot was Peridot, as she always was. So what had it been, causing that fight-or-flight reaction...? It felt so familiar, but--...

"... Lapis? Are you okay?"

"Uh, I'm... I--... I don't know..." The feeling was fading. "I think so. What--... happened?"

"Maybe you had a bad dream...?"

"A bad dream?"

"Yeah. Steven had a word for it... 'nightmare', that's it. A dream pulls information from everything that you know, so... maybe you saw something bad?" She attempted a half-smile. "I guess that means you had a dream, though!"

"I, I guess..."

Peridot fell into the 'sleeping' position. "Here, look at this!" Eyes closed, Peridot made a strange, nasal, grunting sort of a noise. Despite herself, Lapis couldn't help but smile.

"What are you doing?! That's weird."

Peridot opened her eyes, and smiled on seeing Lapis smiling. "Humans make that noise when they sleep! _Isn't_ it weird?! Humans are so weird."

The dream had been a nightmare, but they could still laugh together about those strange human habits. Like that, another day passed quietly at the barn (except for _that noise_ Peridot kept making, and Lapis laughing harder each time).


End file.
